Where can local residents, away from home, head when Mother Nature calls? Not too many places as a scarcity of public restrooms in Turlock has proved difficult for some, even prompting one local resident to approach the City Council.

With the drought occupying nearly every mind throughout the state, the Stanislaus Water Summit drew in a number of representatives from local agencies, one of which was Turlock Irrigation District Board of Director Michael Frantz.

The nearby Bay Area may be the global epicenter of technological innovation, but the Central Valley is host to its own scene where tech-savvy individuals are gathering to not only work but play too, like at the first ever Valley Hackathon.

When Lisa Cano's son joined the United States Air Force six years ago, the Hilmar mom was both proud of the decision he made to serve his country and worried about the dangers inherent in the military. She started looking for others going through the same thing and found the Blue Star Mothers of America.

While the Lancaster Painting team is well versed in catering to customers' needs year-round, there is one special client each year that the company especially looks forward to: the Paint it Forward winner.